During cooking or cleaning within a kitchen, a sink can collect a significant amount of debris. For example, waste can collect within and around a drain of the sink during cleaning of dishes. Such waste can be large enough to clog the sink's drain if the waste is permitted to enter the drain. Accordingly, a user may be required to remove the waste from the sink. Conversely, certain kitchen sinks include a garbage disposal mounted beneath the sink to process such waste.
The garbage disposal is disposed in-line with sink's drain such that liquids and solid waste exiting the sink passes through the garbage disposal prior to entering the drain. The garbage disposal includes a mechanism for grinding solid waste passing through the garbage disposal. For example, a grinding ring can chop or mince solid waste within the garbage disposal into pieces small enough to pass through the sink's drain without clogging the drain.
Generally, the garbage disposal includes blades mounted to a plate that rotates about a center of rotation. During rotation of the plate, the plate and blades can urge waste towards the grinding ring. However, the garbage disposal's entrance is generally disposed directly above the center of rotation of the plate. Such a configuration can create problems during operation of the garbage disposal. For example, waste can collect on the plate at the center of rotation.
In particular, waste at the center of rotation may experience insufficient force to move the waste away from the plate's center of rotation. Such waste can accumulate on top of the plate at the center of rotation and not be urged onto the grinding ring by rotation of the plate. Further, such waste can remain disposed within the garbage disposal for extended periods of time and eventually create unpleasant odors or otherwise affect performance of the garbage disposal.
Accordingly, a garbage disposal with features for improved processing of waste would be useful. In particular, a garbage disposal with features for directing waste away from a center of rotation of the garbage disposal would be useful.